A MAN in High Wycombe fears he will 'end up in prison' after hearing the Governments plan to criminalise rough sleepers.

Neil Ross, a busker and rough sleeper in the town centre, expressed his worries over the new crime bill, where police in England and Wales are to be given powers to fine or move on rough sleepers deemed to be causing a “nuisance”.

The proposals form part of the criminal justice bill, which is going through the House of Commons and is due to become law before the general election.

They were announced by the former home secretary Suella Braverman and would give police and local authorities powers to act against “nuisance rough sleeping” in England and Wales. Rough sleepers could be moved on, fined up to £2,500 or imprisoned.

The Free Press spoke to Neil on Thursday, April 4, about what he thinks...

He said: "I was listening to the news and the politicians were saying that they're going to make a law about rough sleepers that they are going to be able to arrest them and give them fines of £2,500 or like 6 months in prison but only if they're like aggressive or begging.

"Not all of us hassle people. I busk and play the guitar and people give me a couple of quid or whatever and I go and buy a cup of tea and sit in McDonald's.

"Today I've made a pound sixty, so I'll be lucky to get a burger."

"They were also saying if you were going to give someone a £2,500 fine and I've only got a pound sixty how am I going to pay that? 

"So they're gong to send me to prison so in a way I wouldn't have to worry about anything as I'd have a bed and food and that. "

When asked about what impact this will have in High Wycombe, he said: "I don't think anything's going to come of it.

"Some people here might get nicked but I don't drink or anything, I don't annoy people and I play the guitar and a few cords." 

Bucks Free Press:

On Tuesday, April 2, Wycombe Homeless Connection received calls from "worried people" about the proposals.

They said: "We’ve had calls today from worried people who have heard that the government are proposing to criminalise what they call 'nuisance rough sleeping' and that even ‘causing excessive smells’ is to be included in the Criminal Justice Bill which is meant to be replacing the outdated 1824 Vagrancy Act.

"This is unfair, stigmatizes people and will not help tackle rough sleeping and real anti-social behaviour.

"No one sets out to live outside on the street. It's cold, it's dangerous and it robs people of their dignity. And we are moved to ask ‘move on to where?’ when there simply aren’t enough homes for everyone who needs one!"

"Please let your MP know if you feel as strongly about this as we do. Ask them to make sure the act protects and enshrines the rights of people who don’t have a home, rather than criminalising and stigmatising them."